Hap takes the flashlight off the wooden table upon which all of his detecting equipment lies and tiptoes out of his bedroom.

The attic is dark and brown.

Hap kneels down in front of the shortwave radio by the window.

He depresses the button on the microphone base and says quietly, This is HDWXY 1, over.

There is an immediate response.
The high-pitched pinging sound returns, and it is followed by a man with a low voice. The man says, WHISKEY HOTEL ECHO ROMEO ECHO DELTA OSCAR

Hap uses the pad and pen he keeps by the shortwave set and writes down the first letter of every word in the transmission. The high-pitched pinging sound repeats, and then the man with the low voice repeats everything he said the first time. Then the high-pitched pinging sound transmits again, and then there is silence.

Hap looks down at the pad and reads the lengthy completed message.

It says, WHERE DO THEY PUT THE EMPTY ANGELS HAP WHERE DO THEY HIDE THE BROKEN VESSEL